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General Rating Criteria

*Temperament

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Scholarship

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Industriousness

(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)

*Ability to Handle Complex Litigation

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Punctuality

(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)

*General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters

(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)

*General Ability as a Trial Judge

(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)

Flexibility In Scheduling

(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

*Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation

(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)

General Inclination Regarding Bail

(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)

Involvement in Plea Discussions

(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

*Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation

(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)

Involvement in Settlement Discussions

(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)

General Inclination

(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

What others have said about
Hon. Jose Padilla

Comments

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: AZ688
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
and being in an attorneys pocket is a good point. My first attorney was a good personal friend to the judge. At first my attorney made me think this would be to my benefit; he truly told me so. Of course I didn't want anything that wasn't fair, but it was good news to hear that they might be on the same page as far as ethics. My attorney ended up dropping my case because I had issue with him not filing things on time OR even presenting a settlement offer from the other side. I NEVER saw this offer because he said he "forgot" to forward it! It was the difference of me keeping my house and having my young son for a larger percentage of time which was very important to me as my husband admitted to needing to quit his pill problem that made him feel uncontrollable anger. these things did not carry through because my attorney dropped the ball on my entire case, filed nothing, not even responses or trial position....nothing. this was a top notch, high dollar attorney that did 2 hours of work within 2 months time. My anger for the situation and with the opposing attorney trying to hold me in contempt for non compliance and asking for sanctions...I felt like it was the twilight zone. the attorney dropped my like a hot potato and the judge didn't grant me a continuance to allow me proper time to prepare with a new attorney that would comply with rules. My attorney left me hanging and his judge friend let him out with me hanging not knowing what to do. I still have not recovered from the cost of this and trying to undo the harm and declare terms that were never discussed due to lack of time during the trial. a very humiliating experience and my young son's personality has completely changed due to the awesome default policy of 50/50 parenting. btw, how many men have you seen working in daycare centers ever? male teachers...later in youth life....yes. but in a young child's life... matronly nurturing is essential! here's another question: how many out there would have been happy to live with their fathers equal time to their mothers when they were young children? ONCE AGAIN..maybe when he is older. but young children need their mothers more...even men know this but the court system seems to think it is an injustice to men to not allow 50/50. most of these men that get the 50/50 solicit the new women in their lives to take over the matronly responsibility to their children while under their care. yah, this is a GREAT solution! 50/50 my arse !!!!!!

Other

Comment #: AZ687
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Walked into court room announcing a seminar he'd been to, and advised everyone that 50/50 custody would be his first ruling--then said he wanted to conclude the high school issue quickly. Our attorney had to inform him the case in front of him was for a child under 10. He got huffy about his mistake, but said it didn't matter. 50/50 was it no matter what. Father presented evidence, and contradicted his own evidence several times under oath--yet Padilla ruled in favor of father without even looking at documents already in evidence proving father was perjuring himself. He didn't care. Because parents couldn't agree on the school child should attend, judge ordered child not to attend school in either parent's neighborhood, and in fact a school rated worse than the one in parent's neighborhood. He didn't seem to put the child's best interests first. Retroactively ordered child support paid to father 6 months earlier than the time father had custody of child, despite the fact he hadn't even paid for daycare or anything during that time. He'd let the kid starve or get a lousy education while at the same time appearing to be in an attorney's pocket.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ680
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
interesting on comment az672. in my experience Padilla USED the threat of CPS and said he would call them to take my child away from both parents if I did not change my mind with my testimony of chronic pill abuse by my ex (who admitted in writing that it contributes to his anger and wanting to 'hit') yes, he actually threatened me with CPS, left the courtroom for 5 minutes, until I recanted my written evidence that I had in effort of not wanting a 50/50 split with my son's other parent and requesting a drug test before switching to a 50/50. this judge just believes that no matter what, no matter how abusive, or unstable one parent is over another, it makes no difference. he truly believes that there is more harm to a child without both parents being 50/50 than it is harmful for the child to be subjected to a harmful situation. I'm sorry, but the same reason why divorce may actually be better for some children is the same reason that an equal parenting time and legal decision making authority just doesn't make sense to be equal. google this judge and find a case where he did not allow a woman to leave the state with her young son after reporting drug abuse when she already had sole custody. two weeks after the judge's refusal, the father killed the child, and them himself. there has got to be a case by case basis to listen rather than apply cookie cutter ethics. by the way, he also made a joke about domestic violence in the "old ages" in open court! everybody just looked around thinking that they didn't really hear what they just heard.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ679
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Why is this man still practicing? He does not listen to expert testimony. He discards all but what he wants to hear. Rules on a whim. Places children in danger. He is a disgrace and should be disbarred.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ617
Rating:1.0
Comments:
I had a very bad experience with Judge J. Padilla. My ex is very abusive, that he had commit a domestic violence in the last year and may commit in future, that I had a two order of protection against him and he kicked out me with two children to the Domestic violence shelter. Also he had a history of child abuse with evidence. Right now my ex is totally against any treatment or medications from Pediatric Doctor, child had return after his parenting time with the Pneumonia a several times in the critical condition without any treatment been provided. The child only 3 years old and on this point is extremely dangerous for the child life and heath, but this Judge does not go to change anything based on the my Modify. All my Modify Judge had denied even when my ex, he a respondent wasn't present on the hearing, and no one was present for his matter, my ex doesn't have an attorney either. So my concern this Judge for some point has related with other party, in this case with my ex

Litigant

Comment #: AZ611
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge does not want to hear anything. I submitted several exhibits, but I was still ordered to cover health insurance for an ex-wife & two non-biological kids. He also let my ex-wife submit paperwork the day of our hearing, without following the proper rule of 15 days prior. He is unfair and unethical, and needs to be removed!

Litigant

Comment #: AZ585
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The comments that I still read and receive notifications about regarding this judge are unbelievable. Is nobody paying attention? Or are not enough people paying attention, such as attorneys, or court staff? This is not just a matter of sour grapes over rulings. This is about the outright abuse of power by this judge. He is obviously pro-father, no matter what the circumstances. Apparently you can leave a two-year-old home alone, beat your wife, or be on drugs, or be M.I.A. for your child's entire life thus far. No matter, you are male and you have a God-given right to have complete access to your son. This judge threatened to call CPS on me in the middle of court to have my child taken away, because I did not claim that my ex had a drug problem earlier. This judge said that if I did not recant my testimony and claim that there was no issue with drugs, then he would call CPS on me right then and there, and I had five minutes to change my decision. He came back into the courtroom, and I did what I felt I was blackmailed into in order to protect my son from further damage. (By the way, this came after testimony and proof that my ex beat me and was arrested.) This judge then made a sickening joke about how to get away with beating your wife. Is anybody listening? Does he have some kind of diplomatic immunity or something? What gives?

Litigant

Comment #: AZ584
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Judge Padilla has no concerns that minor girls are with a convicted and registered sex offender. There has never been any evidence to show that he is safe with them. The B.I.A. outright lies, and Judge Padilla refuses to listen to hard evidence.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ571
Rating:1.0
Comments:
As with others, if I could give this judge a zero rating, I would. He does not care about the facts in the case, is pro-father regardless of the situation, and is completely unethical. My son's father bullied me mercilessly, lied in court documents, and filed things incorrectly -- yet Judge Padilla gave him everything he wanted: 50/50 parenting time, not allowing me to move my son to a much better school, not assigning a parenting coordinator to the case, etc. I am completely angry that someone like this continues to sit on the bench, making decisions about children's lives.

Other

Comment #: AZ562
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
He is an absolute disgrace of a judge. My son's father and his family lied to his face, put on a show the entire time, and Judge Padilla sucked it all up. When I would tell him how my son was left alone at his father's house, Judge Padilla laughed at me and said that "it happens." My son was two years old when this happened. I'm Hispanic, so it's obviously not a race issue. He just flat out does not care. I had countless negatives against my ex to get full custody and all Judge Padilla did was shrug his shoulders at me. My ex even tested positive for drugs and his mother tested positive for alcohol, and the judge supposedly didn't see it. Isn't this paperwork you deal with all the time? I'm sure he knows what he's looking for; he's a sad excuse of a person.

Other

Comment #: AZ557
Rating:1.0
Comments:
I was not represented by an attorney and I am fighting for custody of my 4-year-old son, who has lived with me his entire life without his father being involved at all, and all of a sudden the father wanted 50/50 custody and overnights. Judge Padilla granted it regardless of the emotional damage it could cause my son because he does not know this person at all! He told me that reunification was not necessary and that my son was only 4 years old and to "give him a cookie and he'd be fine." Like that supposedly makes up for everything and not knowing him at all! Judge Padilla is a crock and unfair!

Litigant

Comment #: AZ555
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Rated as a "1" because zero was not an option. This judge had the case decided without my testimony; in fact, he did not allow me to testify. Whether his bias was due to my being a custodial father, a white man, or that I was representing myself is unknown, but he has destroyed any faith I had in the legal system. He allowed the opposition's attorney to testify for her client, though not under oath, and believed her lies even though she outwardly contradicted herself. There are many fine and fair judges in Maricopa County; unfortunately, this judge is one that should look at himself in the mirror and voluntarily step down. He has no business presiding over court cases. Judges are supposed to be fair and impartial, weighing facts and guiding the hearing through its steps. I have never been so wronged by anyone in my life.

Other

Comment #: AZ550
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Why is he still on the bench in family court? He already has his mind made up before he even hears the case. 50/50 no matter what, no matter the danger to the mother. Move him back to probate or building permits. He is anti-woman and pro-father, it's just that simple. Another Dawn A. is about to happen.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ486
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge doesn't take children's interests into account in that they benefit from their grandparents' love and attention after their mother died. He is totally biased in favor of the father's rights.

Other

Other

Comment #: AZ476
Rating:10.0
Comments:
I have known the Hon Judge Jose Padilla for many years and must say he has always been Fair n unbiased when it was most imperative-i like his sound decisions n he has always backed up his wise moves w/ True Facts!! Keep up the Good work Jose!

Litigant

Comment #: AZ418
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Words cannot express my dislike for this person. He was not only professional, biased and in cahoots with certain attorneys. I cannot wait to appeal my case and file complaints against this judge. He will not get away with his unfair/unjust rulings that he throws out while playing on the internet. Horrible communication, totally inconsistant, in a hurry. I had custody of my daughter and her father has lists and lists of negatives against him including a negative report by a psychologist that he lied to. Judge Padilla court ordered this limited scope evaluation and then didnt even take their recommendation (in my favor) into consideration. My daughters father lied to the face of the Psychologist and wrote "N/A" to an ESSAY question we were told was important and to answer with detail. Judge Padilla clearly does not know how to be a judge and is going with the easy choice. I will spend the rest of my life making sure this is made right, no matter what it takes. Totally sickened.

Litigant

Comment #: AZ416
Rating:1.0
Comments:
REGARDING FAMILY COURT Hon. Padilla is unorganized and not prompt in reviewing filed documents. Hearing Meeting/Court Minutes are not filed as promptly. The list is endless and I can likely file a complaint with the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Other

Other

Comment #: AZ19
Rating:6.0
Comments:
He has a well trained, organized and experienced staff (they are his crowning jewel). He needs more experience on the family law bench, but overall he is learning, adapting and attempting his hardest, hopefully with time on the bench and the continued assistance of his experienced staff he will continue to improve.